Arts Grant Scheme

Arts Grant Scheme 2025 Guidelines

The Cork County Council Arts Grant Scheme provides grants for individuals and organisations to present and promote arts activities, projects, or events in Cork County. Grants may be awarded where applications meet the aims and objectives, and eligibility criteria as outlined in these guidelines. Applications will be evaluated on the artistic vision, ambition, potential impact on audiences and artists, and feasibility. 

1. Cork County Council Arts Grant Scheme Funding Aims and Objectives:

The Arts Grant Scheme is operated in accordance with the 2003 Arts Act; which states:

• A local authority may provide such financial or other assistance as it considers appropriate to such persons or in respect of such activities, projects or undertakings, for the purposes of—
  • stimulating public interest in the arts,
  • promoting knowledge, appreciation and practice of the arts, or
  • improving standards in the arts, within its functional area.

In addition to the above, with this Grant Scheme Cork County Council aims: 

• To support the work of county Cork based arts organisations and artists.
• To help develop new audiences for the arts. 
• To support new, innovative artistic work of high quality. 
• To support opportunities for artist engagement with communities. 
• To ensure that artists receive fair remuneration for their work.
• To encourage creative collaborations between artists and/or between organisations. 
• To support inclusive arts practice that engages with Cork county’s increasingly diverse and multicultural population. 
• To promote equality and diversity by supporting creative engagement opportunities for the economically or socially marginalised or those experiencing discrimination through gender, sexual orientation, civil or family status, religion, age, disability, race or membership of the Traveller community.
• To encourage initiatives that have the capacity to animate public spaces in innovative and creative ways. 
• To support artistic activities and events that focus public attention on climate change and the environment.
• To encourage artistic and creative activity that generates positive social, cultural, environmental or economic impact in the county.
• To support participation in national initiatives such as Culture Night, Bealtaine Festival and Cruinniú na nÓg.

2. Eligibility Criteria

• Cork County Council accepts applications from new or established arts groups, artists, festivals, or other groups proposing creative artistic activity in any artform including but not limited to: Visual Arts; Music; Literature; Traditional Arts, Music and Dance; Theatre; Dance; Community Arts; Children and Youth Arts; Arts and Older People; Inclusive Arts; Arts Access; Arts and Health; Art, Environment and Climate Change; Film and Video; Festivals and Events.
• Applicants must be based in Cork county, exceptions to this rule will be considered where the activity proposed clearly demonstrates capacity to deliver quality arts engagement with people in the county administrative area.
• Applicants must demonstrate a commitment and ability to achieve artistic excellence through the proposed activity.
• Applicants must demonstrate commitment and ability to support public access to and engagement in the arts through participation or as audience, or both.
• Applicants must demonstrate the need for financial assistance to undertake the proposed project. Applications must show that the applicant has considered other potential sources of public or private funding. Applications must indicate if funding sought from other sources at is confirmed or not. 
• Applicants must demonstrate that artists employed will be supported in their work and fairly remunerated.
• Eligible expenditure includes Artist Fees, Venue hire, Equipment hire, Insurance, Evaluation and Documentation costs, Promotion costs.
• Please adhere to Cork County Council’s Artist Remuneration Policy.
• Cork County Council funding policy requires that any organisation seeking funding, whose activities involve children, submit a copy of their current child safeguarding policy along with their completed application. Failure to do so may render the application invalid.
• Cork County Council strongly recommends that all organisations have adequate insurance cover for the projects they undertake. In providing grant support Cork County Council will not be liable for any actions that may arise as a result of the negligence of the applicant.
• If any part of a proposed event/activity is to take place on Cork County Council public property or in a public space controlled by Cork County Council, provisional approval from the Municipal District is required. The application form must be submitted to the Municipal District Office in the area where the event is to take place. 
• Proposals for outdoor murals must include approval in principle from the relevant MDO.

The following are not covered under the scheme: 

• An application which does not have an artistic or creative objective, for example where the primary objective is sporting, heritage, general recreation, etc.
• An application that does not demonstrate commitment to supporting public engagement in the arts.
• Applications from private/for profit entities.
• Any activities or events taking place outside the Cork County administrative area, except in circumstances where Council support may be justified. 
• Any application intending to use funding to generate a private or personal income.
• Any application intending to use funding for sponsorship, local fundraising, purchase of prizes etc. 
• Any application intended to seek funding to subsidise individual or group tuition fees for formal or informal education.
• General administrative costs of organisations. 
• Capital / purchase of assets.
• Projects, events, or activities already completed.

3. Assessment of Applications

The assessment process will consider all relevant information provided. It is important that information is presented clearly and concisely and that you demonstrate how the application meets Cork County Council’s funding aims and objectives.

Applications will be evaluated under the following headings:

• Artistic vision and ambition: We will assess the artistic rationale of the application.
• Impact and benefit: We will assess the value of the proposed project to the target group as audience or participants.
• Feasibility: We will assess the proposed budget and capacity of the applicant to manage and deliver the proposed activities or events.

4. Application Procedure and Deadline

• Applications must be submitted via the Council’s online applications portal by clicking the button below:

• The deadline for submission of proposals to the Arts Grants Scheme is 5pm Thursday, January 9th 2025. Late applications will not be considered.
• Sections on the application form include contact details, organisation details, project proposal, budget and finance, insurance, and child protection, and supporting materials. 
• We strongly advise making the application ahead of the deadline to avoid any difficulties with uploading times. 
• While the form is capable of being saved and continued from a specific save point, we suggest that you complete the application in one sitting, once you have all of the information to hand.
• However, if you wish to save to continue at a later stage then please select the save button, ensuring that you see a message indicating that it was successful. 
• Once saved, please continue by accessing the form which can be found in the 'My Request' tab when you are logged in.  Select 'Continue' on the appropriate application to continue it.
• Once submitted, your application cannot be amended. Do not submit your application until you are completely satisfied. 
• If the application is successfully submitted you will receive a confirmation email and an application reference number. This mail can sometimes be classified as spam and may be directed to your spam folder. 
• If you do not receive a confirmation email then the application has not reached us and you should consider resubmitting. 
• Keep a copy of all material submitted.
• A child protection policy
• Supporting Documents can be uploaded on the application form. This can include examples of previous work.
• For supporting documentation there is a Max of 8 files 2.50mb per file. 

Accessible Applications

The option to submit a video or audio proposal is available for people with additional needs. Audio instructions are available to guide you through the application process. Video applications must be submitted as a link to an external site, audio applications can be uploaded directly on the application form. We strongly advise making the application ahead of the deadline to avoid any difficulties with uploading times. If you need further accessibility support please contact via email: arts@corkcoco.ie or tel: (021) 434 6210. 

Notification of Decision

Applicants will be notified of the decision of Cork County Council after approval by full Council in February/March 2025.

Publication of Decisions

It is the policy of Cork County Council to publish the names of all recipients and amounts of funding awarded.

Freedom of Information

Cork County Council undertakes to use its best endeavours to hold confidential any information provided by applicants subject to its obligations under law, including the Freedom of Information Act 2014. Applicants are requested to consider if any of the information supplied should not be disclosed because of its sensitivity. If this is the case, candidates should, when providing the information, identify same and specify the reasons for its sensitivity. If such information is not identified as sensitive and Cork County Council on consideration does not deem it sensitive, then such information is liable to be released in response to a Freedom of Information request without further consultation with the applicants. Cork County Council will consult with any candidates about sensitive information before making a decision on any Freedom of Information Act request received.